Losing one's vision can create challenges in everyday life. According to the World Health Organization, 285 million people are estimated to be visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 million have low vision. About 90% of the world's visually impaired people live in developing countries. According to the American Foundation for the Blind, more than 10 million Americans are visually impaired. There are four levels of visual function, according to the International Classification of Diseases, including: 1) normal vision; 2) moderate visual impairment; 3) severe visual impairment; and 4) blindness. Moderate visual impairment combined with severe visual impairment are grouped under the term “low vision”, which taken together with blindness represents all visual impairment.
A visually impaired person faces many challenges in everyday life, but most can be overcome with some adaptations. For example, before a visually impaired person walks from his or her residence to a transportation center or a local post office, he or she has to physically survey (utilizing a walking stick) the pavement, and this surveying has to continuously take place before every step. The visually impaired person cannot detect changes in pavement levels until it can be sensed with his or her walking stick. Using a seeing eye dog as a guide is beneficial, but the caring needed by the dog may be an issue and the visually impaired person may have to rely on additional personnel for assistance. While walking, the visually impaired person may not be able to determine what lies inches past the length of the walking stick.
Today's computer technology has benefited the visually impaired in classrooms by utilizing portable note takers, book readers, detection of colors and signs, but there is much more that needs to be done so that the visually impaired may become fully independent outside of a contained and known environment so that they may freely enjoy a walk, thus enhancing their present level of independence.